1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector protecting cap fitted on the optical connector to protect an end surface of the optical connector; an optical fiber cable with a connector cap, in which the optical connector protecting cap is fitted on an optical connector provided on an optical fiber cable terminal; and a cap removal tool used for pulling out the optical connector protecting cap fitted on an optical connector from the optical connector.
The contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-177561, filed Aug. 15, 2011 are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an optical connector, a detachable and attachable cap is fitted on the outside of the tip of the optical connector to protect an end surface (apical surface) of the optical connector (see for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-290046). By fitting the cap on the outside of the tip of the optical connector, the cap covers the end surface of the optical connector, and protect the apical surface of the optical fiber, which is exposed to the end surface of the optical connector, from scratches, dust and the like. This technique can be applied to optical connectors not only for single cores, but also for multicores (see for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H10-206689). However, this technique requires a space around a cap fitted on the outside of the tip of an optical connector to pull the cap out from the optical connector, thus a plurality of optical connectors cannot be aligned with high density.
For example, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-201664, a plug component (the “cap” described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-201664) which can be inserted into and pulled out from a connector insertion hole of an optical connector adaptor is used as another technique to protect an end surface of the optical connector. In this technique, an opening at one end in the axis line of the connector insertion hole, which perforates an optical connector adaptor, is filled with the plug component inserted into the connector insertion hole, and thereby an end surface (apical surface) of an optical connector, which is inserted and fitted into the connector insertion hole from the other end in the axis line of the connector insertion hole, is protected from scratches, dust and the like. However, this technique requires optical connector adaptors, and therefore when an optical connector is not inserted into an optical connector adaptor, the technique cannot be applied to protect an end surface of such the optical connector.